Picture the usual end-of-term set-up. One hall, children from four to eleven, and a hard stop because lunch is coming.
A magic show suits that better than most things, because everyone can follow it whatever their age. But a show that goes down brilliantly with one class can fall flat with another, so it’s worth asking a few questions before you book.
Who is in the room?
Reception and Year 1 want to shout out, point, and tell the magician what they think is happening. By Year 5 and 6 they would much rather catch him out. A good show has something for both. Ask the performer how they handle a mixed hall, or whether it’s worth splitting by key stage.
Can everyone see?
Magic is a visual thing. If it all happens at table height, the children sitting cross-legged at the back see nothing. Tell the performer how big the hall is and whether the children will be on the floor, on benches or on chairs.
How long, and when?
Work back from your timetable. Ask what length suits your slot, how long set-up takes, and how much space and power they need. You don’t want somebody plugging things in while the children file through the door.
What will your school need to see?
Every school has its own rules for visitors. Ask what the performer can provide, and ask early, so the paperwork doesn’t become the stressful part of the day.
What we do
The Family Magic Show is Isis and Damian, a dad and daughter magic act based in Arundel. It’s funny, it moves quickly, and the grown-ups get fooled as well as the children, which helps when staff are watching from the side of the hall. We’re available for school events as well as parties and festivals. If you want to see what we do first, there’s a clip on the video page.
Planning a Christmas date
If your school is in or around Arundel and you’d like to talk through a date, use the contact form on our home page. Tell us the year groups, the hall and the time you’ve got, and we’ll come back with what would work.
New to us? Abracadabra in Arundel explains what the show is about.
Looking for something for the grown-ups’ Christmas party? Damian also performs close-up magic at private parties as Sussex Magician. His post on Christmas magic for private parties in West Sussex is a good place to start.